Levana Pattaya Hotel - SHA Extra Plus

You come here for a practical Pattaya base with a little more character than a plain city hotel. The butterfly theme runs through the design, while the atmosphere is geared towards families and friends who want somewhere comfortable for sleeping, eating and taking a breather between outings.

The rooftop pool gives the hotel its most distinctive feature, but the appeal is broader than a single photograph. Air-conditioned rooms, balconies, a restaurant, bar, coffee shop and lounge keep the useful parts of the day close at hand. After salt, sun and a long day out, that matters more than a grand lobby.

You are in Pattaya Central, Thailand, on Pattaya Klang, with Central Pattaya about a ten-minute drive away. The hotel sits in the city rather than beside the water, so you will use the hotel shuttle or local transport when the beach is the objective. Pattaya Beach is about 1.3 miles away on foot, while the hotel gives the drive as roughly seven minutes.

The surrounding area is useful rather than isolated. A coffee shop is around three minutes away on foot, and Shabushi is about two minutes away. Pattaya Railway Station is roughly 1.3 miles away by road, and Pattaya Bus Terminal about 1.9 miles. For a change from poolside recovery, Art In Paradise Pattaya is around 1.7 miles away, while the Pattaya Viewpoint is about 3.1 miles by road.

The rooms are made for two, with a choice between a super-king bed and twin beds. The Deluxe Double Room or Deluxe Twin Room gives you the extra room within the available categories, which is useful when two divers return with wet clothes, day bags and the usual collection of bits that somehow multiply during a trip. For a couple, the king-bed option keeps things simple; for friends, the twin arrangement avoids negotiations before breakfast.

Every room has air conditioning, a private bathroom, balcony and city view. There is also a refrigerator, minibar, electric kettle and seating area, so you can cool a drink, make a quick coffee and sit down without having to leave the room again. A drying rack is provided for clothing, while the bathroom includes a shower, towels, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

The practical details continue with free WiFi, a flat-screen television with cable and satellite channels, a telephone and lift access to upper floors. Non-smoking rooms are available, and room service means you can keep the evening quiet when the legs have had enough. The city view tells you exactly what sort of setting this is: urban Pattaya, not a secluded beach hideaway.

The restaurant covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, with American and Thai dishes on the menu. Breakfast brings Asian and American choices, giving you a familiar start when you want one and something more local when the usual eggs-and-toast routine has lost the will to live. The restaurant is on site, so food is available without turning the evening into another excursion.

There is one bar, along with a snack bar and an on-site coffee shop. That gives you several levels of post-dive refuelling, from coffee and a quick bite to a proper meal and a drink. Room service is also available when you prefer to eat on the balcony or simply cannot face putting on respectable clothes again.

Happy hour and themed dinner nights add a little structure to the evening. The hotel also has a lounge and a shared lounge with television, useful if you want company without committing to a full night out.

The rooftop pool is the obvious place to start when the sea has been doing most of the work. It sits on the eighth floor and looks across Pattaya, with a sun terrace, loungers, umbrellas and pool towels available. You can swim, dry off and watch the city carry on below while your kit and knees recover at their own pace.

There is no need to turn every non-diving hour into an organised activity. The pool and terrace handle the serious business of doing very little, while the seating areas and lounge offer shade and indoor downtime. The tour desk can help shape a day away from the water, and nearby attractions include Art In Paradise Pattaya, Ripley's Believe It or Not and Underwater World Pattaya.

For a more local change of scene, Pattaya Viewpoint and Pattaya Hill are both around 3 miles away by road. The hotel can also arrange car hire, and a shuttle service is available for getting around the area.

U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport is about 21 miles away by road, with the drive taking roughly 33 minutes. The hotel offers a shuttle service, and you can arrange the details with the property. A 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, tour desk and wake-up service cover the useful edges of an arrival or departure day.

Check-in starts from 14:00 and check-out runs until 12:00. Early check-in and late check-out are available on request. Cash is accepted for payment, and a refundable damage deposit is collected on arrival and returned in cash at check-out after the room has been inspected.

Children of any age are welcome. Extra beds can be requested for children aged four to twelve, subject to availability, while cots are not available. The check-in age restriction is important: guests checking in must be between 20 and 60 years old. Pets are not allowed.

Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are available, as are facilities for disabled guests, upper-floor lift access and a safety deposit box. The property is non-smoking throughout, with a designated smoking area.